CVE-2022-31543
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to read arbitrary files on the server through absolute path traversal in the SetupBox repository. It affects any system running SetupBox version 1.0 or earlier that exposes the vulnerable Flask endpoint. The vulnerability occurs because the Flask send_file function is used without proper path validation.
💻 Affected Systems
- maxtortime/SetupBox
📦 What is this software?
Setupbox by Setupbox Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete server compromise through reading sensitive files like /etc/passwd, SSH keys, configuration files, or database credentials, potentially leading to remote code execution.
Likely Case
Information disclosure of sensitive server files, potentially exposing credentials, configuration data, or other confidential information.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper file system permissions and network segmentation, though information disclosure risk remains.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires only HTTP requests with crafted paths to the vulnerable endpoint.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/github/securitylab/issues/669#issuecomment-1117265726
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Remove or disable the SetupBox application. 2. Implement proper path validation if continuing to use the codebase. 3. Consider using alternative software with proper security controls.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement Path Validation
allAdd input validation to sanitize file paths before passing to send_file function
# In Flask route handler, add path validation:
import os
from flask import abort
# Validate path is within allowed directory
base_dir = '/safe/directory'
requested_path = os.path.join(base_dir, filename)
if not requested_path.startswith(base_dir):
abort(403)
Network Access Control
linuxRestrict network access to the vulnerable endpoint
# Using iptables to restrict access:
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [PORT] -s [TRUSTED_IP] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [PORT] -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate the vulnerable system
- Deploy a WAF with path traversal protection rules
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test if the Flask endpoint accepts absolute paths like /../../etc/passwd or full paths like /etc/passwdCheck Version:
Check the repository version or application configuration for SetupBox versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify that path traversal attempts return error responses instead of file contents📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing path traversal patterns (../, /etc/, /root/)
- Unusual file access patterns from web endpoints
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with suspicious path parameters
- Traffic to sensitive file paths from external sources
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (uri="*../*" OR uri="*/etc/*" OR uri="*/root/*" OR uri="*/proc/*")